Alcohol (ROH) does not react with NaBr to form alkyl bromide because

Options

A. NaBr is in soluble in alcohol
B. `Br^(-)` is strong base than `OH^(-)`
C. NaBr is an ionic compound
D. `OH^(-)` is a strong base than `Br^(-)`

Answer

To solve the question of why alcohol (ROH) does not react with NaBr to form alkyl bromide, we can break it down into the following steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Reactants
- We have an alcohol (ROH) and sodium bromide (NaBr). The alcohol contains a hydroxyl group (-OH) which is a poor leaving group in nucleophilic substitution reactions.

**Hint:** Consider the nature of the functional groups involved in the reaction.

### Step 2: Identify the Nucleophile
- In this reaction, the bromide ion (Br-) from NaBr would act as the nucleophile. For a substitution reaction to occur, the nucleophile must be able to displace the leaving group (in this case, -OH).

**Hint:** Recall the role of nucleophiles in substitution reactions.

### Step 3: Compare the Strength of the Leaving Group
- The hydroxyl ion (OH-) is a strong base and a poor leaving group compared to Br-. For the nucleophilic substitution to occur, Br- must be a stronger nucleophile than OH- is a leaving group. However, OH- is not a good leaving group because it is a strong base.

**Hint:** Think about the stability of the leaving groups and their ability to depart from the molecule.

### Step 4: Conclusion on Reaction Feasibility
- Since OH- is a stronger base than Br-, it cannot be easily replaced by Br-. Therefore, the reaction between alcohol and NaBr does not proceed to form alkyl bromide (RBr).

**Hint:** Reflect on the concept of leaving group ability and how it affects reaction pathways.

### Step 5: Identify the Correct Option
- The correct option states that "OH- is a strong base compared to Br-", which explains why the reaction does not occur. Other options provided in the question do not accurately describe the situation.

**Hint:** Review the options carefully to determine which one aligns with the reasoning you've established.

### Final Answer
Alcohol (ROH) does not react with NaBr to form alkyl bromide because OH- is a stronger base than Br-, making it a poor leaving group in nucleophilic substitution reactions. Thus, the correct option is that "OH- is a strong base compared to Br-."